The present invention relates generally to furniture for imparting oscillatory motion to a subject, and more particularly to furniture having an actuator mechanism for control of the oscillatory motion by the subject.
Various designs of furniture for supporting one or more persons, typically in either a seated or reclining position, and, additionally, for providing some motion relative to the ground or floor of an assembly that supports the person, are known in the art. Such furniture, as broadly described and as referred to herein as xe2x80x9cmotion chairs,xe2x80x9d includes such common items as rocking chairs and gliders. Additional devices that are fixed in position and both support and provide for motion of a person fall into the category of juvenile products or physical exercise equipment. In some cases, motion of the supporting assembly is relative to a base component of the furniture item, where the base component is supported by the floor or ground. In the present description and in any appended claims, the term xe2x80x9cfloorxe2x80x9d will be used to encompass any surface upon which an item of furniture may rest, and may include, without limitation, the ground.
One means known for providing for motion of a support assembly relative to a base of an item of furniture utilizes linkage assemblies which produce an arc-like path and was previously discussed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,618,016 (the xe2x80x9c""016 patentxe2x80x9d), which patent is incorporated herein by reference.
Furniture items, such as those surveyed in the foregoing paragraphs, that provide for motion of one or more supported persons, typically require either:
(1) that a force be exerted on the supporting assembly with respect to a surface external to the furniture; or
(2) that an occupant displace his center of gravity substantially to cause or sustain oscillatory motion.
Thus, for example, an ordinary rocking chair is driven by action of the feet of the occupant against the floor, or, in some cases, against an ottoman. In order to maintain a continuous motion such as an oscillatory rocking, the occupant""s feet must either be kept on the floor or periodically placed there to drive the motion. In a common suspended swing or its variants, the occupant must exert enough force to substantially shift his center of gravity with respect to the equilibrium point of the motion. In either case, braking the motion of the support similarly requires exertion of a force with respect to a stationary surface or substantial motion of the center of gravity of the occupant.
In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, there is provided an apparatus for imparting substantially oscillatory motion to a subject, wherein the apparatus has a support assembly and an oscillatory mechanism that defines a path of motion of the support assembly, as well as a lock mechanism having a first position to preclude motion of the oscillatory mechanism and a second position to permit motion of the oscillatory mechanism. The lock mechanism is biased to assume the first position in the absence of a substantial weight present on the support assembly. In further embodiments, the lock mechanism is configured to assume the second position only in the presence of a substantial weight on the support assembly and only if a manual release has been activated.
In accordance with other embodiments of the present invention, an apparatus is provided for imparting substantially oscillatory motion to a subject, the apparatus having a support assembly for supporting the subject and an oscillatory mechanism that defines a path of motion of the support assembly. Additionally, the apparatus has an actuator, including a manipulandum with a curved profile and protruding through an opening, permitting the subject while supported by the support assembly to apply a non-gravitational acceleration to the support assembly.
In accordance with alternate embodiments of the invention, the curved profile of the manipulandum may be arcuate, the opening may be a slot, and the manipulandum may be a disc-shaped member, and, more particularly, a member with a perimeter of approximately 180 degrees and a chord corresponding approximately to a diameter of the disc. The manipulandum may be coupled by a linkage to the oscillatory mechanism.
In accordance with further embodiments of the invention, a linkage assembly is provided of the type including a first link connected at a first point to a translation mechanism attached to a support structure, the translation mechanism arranged to allow the first point of the first link to translate along a substantially straight axis and a second link pivotally connected at a first point to the support structure and pivotally connected to the first link at a second point such that a second point of the first link oscillates. An improvement to the linkage assembly has first and second offset mounts attached at corresponding locations to the first and second links respectively and overlapping one another. The mounts are configured so that the second link is pivotally connected to the first link at a pivot point about a pivot axis located in a region of overlap of the offset mounts.
In accordance with yet further embodiments of the invention, an improvement is provided to a linkage assembly of the type including a first link connected at a first point to a translation mechanism attached to a support structure, the translation mechanism arranged to allow the first point of the first link to translate along a substantially straight axis and a second link pivotally connected at a first point to the support structure and pivotally connected to the first link at a second point that link travels on an arc of substantially constant finite radius and the first link pivots with respect to the second link. The improvement, in accordance with the invention, has first and second offset mounts attached at corresponding locations to the first and second links respectively and overlapping one another, the mounts configured so that the second link is pivotally connected to the first link at a pivot point about a pivot axis located in a region of overlap of the offset mounts.
In either of the foregoing improved linkage assemblies, the first link may be disposed so that the pivot point is located approximately collinearly with the first and second points of the first link. The second link may be attachable at a third point to a second translation mechanism, the second translation mechanism being attached to a support, and the first link may be attachable to the support at the second point, with the second link disposed so that the pivot point is located approximately collinearly with the first and third points of the second link.
In accordance with yet further embodiments of the invention, the improved linkage assemblies may have a second corresponding pair of first and second links spaced apart from the first and second links, a first cross member coupled between the second link and the corresponding second link and attached in each instance near the first point of each such second link, and a second cross member coupled between the first link and the corresponding first link and attached in each instance near the second point of each such first link.
In accordance with other embodiments of the invention, an apparatus is provided for imparting substantially oscillatory motion to a subject, where the apparatus has a support assembly for supporting the subject and an oscillatory mechanism that defines a path of motion of the support assembly. The oscillatory mechanism has a post the base of which is coupled to a fixed frame, as well as a first link having a first end pivotably coupled to a point on the fixed frame and a second end pivotably coupled to provide sliding motion relative to the support assembly. Additionally, the oscillatory mechanism has a second link having a first end pivotably coupled to the support assembly and a second end coupled to provide sliding motion collinearly with the post.
In accordance with still another embodiment of the invention, there is provided an apparatus for imparting substantially oscillatory motion to a subject, the apparatus having a support assembly for supporting the subject and an oscillatory mechanism. The support assembly defines forward and rearward directions, and the support assembly and subject are together characterized by a center of gravity. The oscillatory mechanism defines a path of motion of the support assembly, where the path of motion has a lowest point horizontally displaced rearward with respect to a centerline of the support assembly.